Six women from France, Spain and the USA underwent a ceremony in Rome on Thursday that resembled the ordination of Catholic priests and deacons. The ceremony took place on a ship on the River Tiber, partly to prevent possible disruption, according to the "International Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests". According to the initiative, the ceremony, which they described as "historic", was intended to promote gender equality in the ordained ministry in a church for all.

Catholic canon law does not provide for the ordination of women and penalizes anyone who actively or passively participates in such a symbolic act with excommunication, ie exclusion from the church community. At the  Synod on Synodality  on Reforms of the Catholic Church currently meeting in the Vatican, the  topic of ordination for women  was addressed in several speeches.

Bridget Mary Meehan, an unrecognized bishop from Florida since 2009, presided over the two-hour ceremony on a large houseboat about three kilometers from the Vatican. Belen Repiso Carrillo from Spain and Anne La Tour and Mary Katherine Daniels from the USA were to be ordained as priests, Loan Rocher from France and Maria Teresa Ribeiro Rosa and Txus Garcia Pascual from Spain as deacons, two of whom are trans people. Similar to the Catholic sacrament of ordination to the priesthood, there were hand-raising ceremonies and prayers. The candidates lay stretched out in front of the improvised altar, a white table decorated with a crucifix, Bible, candles and flowers.

"We are ready!"

In her sermon, Meehan said that women had always de facto fulfilled the tasks of  deacons  in the church without being able to be officially ordained. The Bible tells of numerous women whom Jesus called and who followed him. Mary Magdalene was the first female apostle to be sent out to proclaim the good news of Jesus' resurrection. She appealed to the Church to officially admit women to the priesthood and diaconate. "We are ready!" she concluded her sermon to applause. Among the 70 or so people present were numerous previously ordained women from the initiative. Numerous media representatives followed the event, to which only accredited persons were granted access.

The "We are Church" initiative advertised with the slogan "Equality for all Baptised. Equality at Synod." Since the first spectacular action of the "Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests"  on the Danube in 2002 , there have been 18 women worldwide who are Catholic women bishops according to their own understanding and who in turn have ordained around 300 women as priests through the laying on of hands. (KNA)


Austria News: “I Saw the Church of the Future”

https://frauenweihe-jetzt.de/ich-habe-die-kirche-der-zukunft-gesehen /


October 18, 2024

Yesterday, six women were ordained as deacons and priests on the Tiber in Rome.  A solemn and joyful ordination ceremony took place parallel to the  World Synod of Bishops, which represented an open affront to the official Church.
The ordination of women, announced in advance by the  Association of Roman Catholic Woman Priests (ARCWP) (see  press release  ), was recorded by TV stations in several countries. The approximately two-hour service on the Tiber boat took place in the same form as for male ordination candidates, ie including prostration (laying down of the candidates); only the promise of obedience to the bishop was omitted. The ceremony took place with simultaneous translation into the languages ​​of the ordained: English, French and Spanish.

According to the law of the Roman Catholic Church, the ordination of women is considered a "simulation" and leads to excommunication for those ordained and those ordaining them. It is not recognized by the Church. The women and some theologians consider it valid in the tradition of the  Danube Seven  , but not permitted (valide, sed illicite).

After the ordination, the radiant faces of the newly ordained women could be seen. They can now do what they see God calling them to do: work as deacons and priests in the Catholic Church. "I saw the church of the future," said one visitor - a church without discrimination against women in universal plurality.


The Holy Shakeup Comes to Rome: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Ordination on October 17, 2024 

by Bridget Mary Meehan


Over sixty people - including journalists from France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy and the United States witnessed a holy shakeup minutes from the Vatican!


Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP ordained three priests: Belen Repiso Carrillo from Spain, and Anne Malloy La Tour and Mary Katherine Daniels from the United States and three deacons Loan Rocher from France, and Maria Teresa Ribeiro Rosa and Txus Garcia Pascual from Spain on the Dram , a boat, anchored on the Tiber River. 


Like Jesus who called his first disciples to get out of their fishing boat to follow him in proclaiming the all-embracing love of God for everyone,  Catholic women and persons from marginalized genders are following the call of Jesus today to serve renewed communities of faith anchored in inclusivity, and equality.


We came to Rome to offer hope to Catholics around the globe that women priests and deacons are here now. We minister inclusive communities where all are welcome to receive and celebrate sacraments.


We ask Pope Francis to engage in a “conversation in the Spirit” and to remove all barriers that excommunicate those who answer the Spirit's call to ordination.  

Then his words “todus, todus” will become a reality because they will apply to all who follow their consciences and disobey Church teachings, including women priests !




Ordinations of female priests in Rome: Neither clandestine nor prohibited
by Christina Moreira, ARCWP


"Anyone who witnessed our ordination ceremony would realize that what was experienced there was a peaceful and gentle act, that the grace and affection that come from above and are poured out and overflowed was palpable."

"Nobody expressly prohibited our ceremony, nor was it clandestine. Our focus was precisely on showing, to the greatest number possible, that we are willing to put ourselves at the service of our Church, to bring to it the qualities and charismas that each baptized person receives for the good of the community."

"Will the Pope one day agree to meet with some of us fraternally so that we can give him news of all those people who love him from the heart and who suffer because they do not feel listened to or taken into account?"

"Anyone who witnessed our ordination ceremony would realize that what was experienced there was a peaceful and gentle act, that the grace and affection that come from above and are poured out and overflowed was palpable."

When the first Christian communities (late 1st century and early 2nd century, as attested by the Epistle of James, among other sources) needed to expand the staff for proclaiming the Good News brought by Jesus of Nazareth, caring for the sick and even healing them in his name, caring for the growing communities, breaking bread and praying within them, some figures were created, considered as successors of the apostles and called deacons, deaconesses, priests and presbyters, bishops and bishops .

I am sorry that the reader's vision is clouded, but a careful reading of the New Testament will give you information on this subject. It is enough to look at the Epistle to the Romans where we find a female apostle: Junia, who has been unsuccessfully attempted to camouflage herself in "Junias", a supposedly masculine and non-existent name . I do not give precise quotes on purpose because I believe that people deserve to access the same sources to scrutinize truths that have gone unnoticed.

The three ordained deaconesses: Loan Rocher, Teresa Riveiro and Txus García
The three ordained deaconesses: Loan Rocher, Teresa Riveiro and Txus García

Following this tradition, which is that of our Catholic and Roman Mother Church, and before following the footsteps of our Master Jesus who did not make any distinction between persons, as the Son of God that he is, nor did he practice discrimination at all, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (acronym in English RCWP-ARCWP https://arcwp.org/cristina-moreira-the-first-spanish-woman-priest/ ) perpetuates the lineage of our founders, the courageous “Danube 7” as we affectionately call them.

Seven women who were ordained deaconesses, priests and finally bishops by various Roman Catholic bishops with apostolic succession . We thus join the already unstoppable tradition of administering the sacrament of Holy Orders to women and it encourages further research. We do not usually hide or keep quiet. We are on four continents and we have finally reached the contingent of 300 with the latest entrants, among whom four are European.

This past Thursday, October 17, in the city of Rome, on the Tiber River, aboard a barge, the following were ordained to the diaconate following the Roman Catholic rite: Loan Rocher (French from Paris), María Teresa Ribeiro Rosa (Andalusian from Isla Cristina, and also Portuguese) and Txus (from Barcelona, ​​Catalonia-Spain). Belén Repiso Carrillo (Spanish from Valladolid, Spain), Anne Malloy La Tour (American from Texas) and Mary Katherine Daniels Anne Latour (American from Texas) were ordained priests by the Irish-American bishop Bridget Mary Meehan . We were accompanied by numerous family members and friends until the entire capacity was filled.

Laying on of hands to Belén Repiso
Laying on of hands to Belén Repiso

No one expressly prohibited our ceremony, nor was it clandestine. Our focus was precisely on showing, to the greatest number possible, that we are willing to put ourselves at the service of our Church, to bring to it the qualities and charisms that each baptized person receives for the good of the community . This is the “order” that the bishop gave when she gave the Gospel to the ordained: “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose messenger you are now. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” That is ordaining with meaning.

It is true that we wear alb, stole and chasuble with the affection of those who receive a valuable legacy and are ready to use it for good. In fact, we are here to build the new Church that we dream of ; our communities around the world are numerous shoots that show flourishing life and, as we are told, are a sign of hope. And that is not by chance: the password to enter is “Come as you are, everyone is welcome.” We do not ask about life status, sexual or emotional orientations, we do not inquire about the origin or number of divorces or sins. We are interested in those who come feeling loved, listened to in their needs, cared for and respected, without conditions.

We do nothing that Jesus of Nazareth did not entrust to his disciples, nothing that we should feel guilty about, when we sit in the midst of his family to break bread and pour wine, to perpetuate his presence where he is sought and needed . The strange thing is that we have to justify ourselves for this. The strange thing is that for centuries this function has been associated with the genitalia of the person who does it. But, they often reply, Jesus was a man. Yes, from the tribe of David, Israeli, circumcised. Do we have to dismiss all those who are not?

Belén Repiso and one of the seven of the Danube
Belén Repiso and one of the seven of the Danube

I heard that afternoon phrases like “Do you love the Pope?” and I answered without hesitation, of course, we profess to love our neighbor, there are no exceptions. But, I added, “Does he love us? Will he one day agree to meet fraternally with some of us so that we can give him news of all those people who love him from the heart and who suffer because they do not feel heard or taken into account? ” Without a doubt, we have much to tell him, and, to begin with, our beautiful vocations for service, also that of the altar and the sacraments, and our perplexity when we note that they do not seem to be necessary; when after long discernment (in the Church) we surrender to the evidence that they are the fruit of the Holy Spirit and someone answers us that “it cannot be,” because the law does not authorize it. 

Another question that is repeated: “You are causing a schism” and, with pain, I usually answer that the schisms have already occurred and continue: the working people have left, the young people are residual, women are leaving en masse, as was recently published, and we must add the schism of all those who do not feel welcomed because of their “sinful” condition, such as married people who have remarried, those from the entire LGBTIQ+ spectrum and, respect obliges us to mention all the victims of priests, monks, bishops and superiors who rape children, girls, women and vulnerable people together with those who show solidarity. Does anyone see these schisms? Do we only fear the schism of those who support the purse and political power in the Church? 

We too have questions. For example: Is someone trying to dictate to the Holy Spirit the terms of reference for discipleship recruitment? Can we really believe, after more than two millennia of Christianity, that the Spirit only speaks to prelates? Isn’t it time to ask whether his Word is not rather spread among his favorites, “the least of these”? How can the Beatitudes be read over and over again without asking this? If prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of Heaven first, there is a different roadmap from the beginning. This is ours.

Ordination of female priests
Ordination of female priests

Once again the law prevails over the divine will. At what point have we forgotten Jesus' sentence: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. And the Son of Man is also the owner of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28). It is true that sentences like these have forged the condemnation of the one who pronounced them… we will not forget that either.

We women are all familiar with the so-called “theological arguments” for not receiving holy orders; arguments that are not such, but rather vain attempts to maintain the status quo, the clerical and hierarchical, heteropatriarchal system , which is concerned with preserving its privileges.

Jesus did not ordain anyone, he was not a priest, and he only asked that we remember him. That is what I do, and that is what my companions do, with the utmost love and respect. From our suffering, violated, undervalued and so often despised bodies, we understand from within what surrender means .

Ordination of female priests
Ordination of female priests

We ask from here that, for God's sake, they stop using Mary to distance us from the table of her Son, from his Body and his Memory . It doesn't work, it doesn't convince us. Mary, the Virgin, Our Lady, the Mother of God... was the first woman and the only one with the right to say: "This is my body, this is my blood." She is with us. Another day we will talk seriously about the two principles of Urs Von Balthasar and how, sometimes, theologians invent fictions to justify the unjustifiable. 

To those who reproach us for wearing the vestments, we can respond that these white vestments are those of baptism. It is not us women who have vilely defiled them with blood and other things, it is not we who use them to dominate and abuse. For us, to wear an alb, a stole, a chasuble or to hold a staff is to return home after a very long journey and open the trunks of our heritage , it means seeking to enter into our tradition with simple intentions and a desire to fully belong also in the symbolic sense. It means seeking to speak the language of the people who understand the signs, clothes and colours and love them in many places on the planet.

Anyone who witnessed our ordination ceremony would have realized that what was experienced there was a peaceful and gentle act, that the grace and affection that come from above and are poured out and overflowed was palpable . Far from the rebellious and “defiant” attitude that the media usually accuse us of, perhaps to make their headlines more explosive, we have no other desire than to call for communion, beyond all borders and respecting diversity. We are servants of communion.

Ordinations of female priests
Ordinations of female priests

I wondered why I cried during the laying on of hands . Seeing those people, many of them friends, respond to their calls, seeing them become part of the long cohort of invisible apostles since Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Cleophas, Mary the wife of Chuza and Mary Magdalene overwhelmed me. I felt a joyful fluttering in my ear, I felt love and sweetness, and the verses we read at Easter came to me, those of the first Pentecost, the one that founded catholicity, universality, thanks to the understanding of languages.

There were people on that boat from the United States, Ireland, Colombia, Germany, Holland, France, Spain (Galicia, Castile, Andalusia, Catalonia…), Portugal and Italy of course. They all understood each other, and not only because our heroic team of interpreters made it possible in very adverse conditions, but because our signs, symbols and faces spoke of salvation and of heaven. The Church among us was Catholic, apostolic and Roman, and no one will be able to steal that happiness from us . We will be caring for it all our lives. We cultivated hope with the stubbornness of faith and the serenity of a peaceful conscience.

I serve in the Comunidade Cristiá do Home Novo (A Coruña- Galicia- Spain)

galilea.luz@gmail.com

Presbyters



Video Clips of Ordination on Tiber River , Rome by Chiara Campara


 ARCWP Ordination in Rome - Homily by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan = clip 1


https://youtu.be/LhScdh-eyeY


ARCWP Ordination in Rome – Prayer of Consecration and Vesting of Priests – clip 2

https://youtu.be/xbyLRqAPmi4


 

ARCWP Ordination in Rome – Clip 3


https://youtu.be/H4kSyg1Cj5A


Additional links from blogs and international Reform Movements


A Reflection by Rev. AndreaGrace: Making Her Story in Rome